The Ex-Season Ticket Holder – The Final Chapter

For those of you following the story of Paul McGeady; our ex-season ticket holder, here’s the final chapter in what’s been a long drawn out process made more lengthy by the clubs ability to swerve questions and disguise facts.

Paul’s quest for answers has ended here with one final emailed correspondence to the club who, in return, have replied for one final time.

What follows are the emails sent to me by Paul, firstly his to the club, then [sadly] his reflection and summary of what happens now. Please leave your comments. This story has come at a time when many people (including me) have little doubt will one day be looked back upon with great sadness, possibly some shame and definitely considered the period of transition from football club to ruthless (underhanded, deceitful, secretive) business regardless of any successes the team achieve during it.

Email to Shelly (MUFC)

Hi Shelly,
Thought I’d drop you a note following our phone conversation last month. I’ve been reflecting on what we discussed, and whilst I wont harrass you,I would be grateful if you could table a couple of points.

When we discussed the increased cost of the membership, your management team told you that this year was no different to any other. i.e. the early renewal is not a discount – its a match of last years “full price”

This simply isnt true. The cost of membership in 2010/2011 was £30 and you got a 10% discount if you renewed early. For 2011/2012 – same goes. (I have email confirmation).

So my original complaint stands. The “discounted” cost this year isn’t that at all. Last year I paid £27.00. This year the minimum i can pay is £30. That’s not a discount.

I appreciate you said that you were already lobbying for transparancy on the website – more honest facts and figures regarding ticket allocations etc. Yet when I look at it today – the lack of honesty is all too apparent. Take the news that we are to float.

If I look at manutd.com right now – there is zero news about the planned floatation on the New York Stock Exchange.

And does that matter? All publications to date have been stating that the “debt is manageable.” So we are now right to be concerned when the official application to float contains a statement of “to reduce our indebtedness”

The “debt is manageable statement” does contradict what was being stated prior to the Glazer years. Mr David Gill himself, before the takeover, made this staement. “We’ve seen many examples of debt in football over the years and the difficulties it causes; we know what that means and we think that is inappropriate for this business”

Supporting United is a religion – and you can’t let it go. I still tell my friends today about how I wrote to United in 1990 asking for a Saturday job. If I didn’t have a job, I had no money to buy a ticket. the flip side, as I was at college, if I got a Saturday job, I would be working and therefore couldn’t go anyway.(We always played on Saturdays then)

So I basically asked them if I could come and work at Old Trafford and have the best of both worlds. United replied, and a week later I got a job selling tea and crisps in the stands. Fantastic. I had access to all parts of the ground, a significant staff discount and best of all, I got to watch united every week just for doing my job. [I even took my mum and dad to the club shop, and as my mum holds the door open for an elderly gentlemen, it only turns out to be Sir Matt Busby (that really did happen).]

Great memories mean i’m so sad now reflecting on recent years. The lack of honesty (that even as a current employee, you are campaigning for) shows a lack of respect to the genuine fans.

This week, Sir Alex has reiterated his support for the Glazers and said what wonderful owners they are. I’m not sure what reaction this press release was supposed to provoke, but a quick look at the United forums will tell you that it’s tasteless.

I’ll always be a fan, but I won’t be renewing my membership.

I’m done.

Paul

Email from Paul to myself including MUFC reply

Morning Ian – hope you are well.

I guess this concludes the efforts. What a journey.

At the beginning I was ignored,
Eventually I managed to get an acknowledged “Official Complaint”.
Then we went through some email exchanges where my issues where effectively dodged
Then the phone call from Shelley with “my management has said….”

And now?

Shelly has stated that it would be “inappropriate” to comment on a lot of what I have said. She does then choose to comment on one of the points, and but even that is a statement saying they are not allowed to make comment.

So they can’t comment on the floatation – that’s probably true. As an employee, Shelly is probably uncomfortable making a comment on David Gill – that too I can accept.

What leaves me in despair, is the telling me that membership renewal is “same as always”, when it isn’t. I then get a “no comment” response to challenging this outright lie – that’s what sticks in the throat.

My pursuit has been fairly relentless and largely, it has been supported. Yes, we’ve seen a couple of negative comments, accusations of “Whining” “it’s boring.” If you do publish this, and should anyone reading this think the same, then please – just stop reading.

The rewarding thing is to see the majority that leap to my defence. In doing so, they re-enforce the fact that that the “effort” is always worthwhile – even if the result is not forthcoming.

I’ll continue to lobby, and if I’ll keep in touch. I’ve not quite worked out what to do next, and as I won’t be a member anymore….do I lose the right to be vocal? I hope not. I reckon after years of attendance, I should still be in credit.

And of course – I’ve not stopped being a supporter of the team.

I’d like to contribute to RedRants whenever I can – either by posting on what you publish, or even by sending you some discussion points from time to time.

I should be really looking forward to the new season, yet I’m not. It really is a sad situation.

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10 Comments

He’s a member, not a season ticket holder! There are 46,000 season ticket holders and I think they’d be a better representation of the general opinion. I’m not sayin that members don’t have a say or an opinion, but I think your “headline” is very misleading.

I’m a chartered accountant (so I know a bit about the numbers) who has supported the club for nearly 40 years (I’m 40 now- but any c*unt who says ‘all my life’ is talking shit as science has proven we remember noting before the age of 3), been going regularly home and away for over 20 years (and who has a season ticket for 18 years), and I do not think that this article expresses any true sentiment from those that have followed the club for any amount of time and not abandoned them for FCUM.

I think more of FCUM supporters – some of whom I previously despised. They have at least (what they think: saw the situation early and) stuck to their point. On the other hand, this article sounds like a whinging reprimand from a Daily Mirror reader who goes twice a season.

United have increased their turnover and pre-debt profit by more than the Glazers have ever taken out since they have taken over. Our net average spending is still the same as it was in the 5 years before they bought the club (£21m p.a.) and the club have just announced the biggest sponsorship deal in our European history. Without the Glazers we’d have never had official wine suppliers, beer suppliers (And God is it shit), training jersey spomsors, official snak suppliers etc.

Our income since they have taken over has risen by over £200m p.a. (so over 5 years over an extra £1bn has come into the club – a FACT that Andy Green and MUST won’t mention).

I’m not a Glazer fan. In fact, I’d rather they go. But it’s not for the financial reasons you’d read in the papers. But I hate this kind of unfounded rationale for having a go at the club.

If you don’t like it, FCUM play as often as we do so fuck off and watch them

I’d only read the opening line when I replied originally, now I’ve read all of it I think you’re typical of many ST holders with enough resources to swallow whatever increases in price the club choose to implement. What an arrogant twat. Why would someone who loves the club decide to support another team? Telling people to support FC United, what an arrogant wanker you are.

It’s wankers like you who make attending matches harder and harder to stomach. 40yrs blah blah, the usual ‘look at me’ bullshit. Is it any wonder attendances are falling when you could wind up sitting next to the likes of you? Are you happy with the atmosphere? Are you happy with the type of fan who’s largely taking over the seats at OT?

This is possibly the worst comment I’ve seen posted on here because it’s come from someone who should know better thanks to the time, effort, money, changes, success and longevity he’s spent/seen over 40yrs. I tell you what, you sound like the kind of person who’d piss up your back then tell you it’s raining.

” I do not think that this article expresses any true sentiment from those that have followed the club for any amount of time and not abandoned them for FCUM.”

If you read the entire story you’ll see how wrong that statement is. I also started going circa 1980, stopped just a few years ago and I feel the same….so is 25yrs not long enough? Should I have switched to FC United?

So that’s two of us, I know both our brothers are the same, I also know we both have friends in the same boat, so are we not creditable ex-ST holders with any true sentiment?

I’ve followed this story from the beginning and to have numb twats appear right at the end shows just what kind of ignorance we have at united. We had an ‘I’m alright jack’ twat of a box holder in the last feed and Ian destroyed her too. My head is currently bleeding after banging it off the wall.

Bogside, it is hardly surprising our revenues have increased given the explosion of interest in English football and its greater profile on the world stage. While it is true that the Glazers have exploited the brand better than our previous owners it doesn’t cover up the fact that we have stood still.

That our average spend is exactly the same as when they came in is pathetic given the increase in player values and greater revenues of the club. And especially considering that without the Ronaldo windfall our average spend would actually be quite a bit LOWER.

That is the problem with a leveraged buyout which as an accountant you surely must know. The company turns into an enterprise for paying off debt rather than funding growth.

Probably many more like you. But if last season’s ordinary price was £30, and this is what you can renew for for the coming season, then I would say it is correct to state that if you pay early, you pay the same as last year, in the meaning “the same as the ordinary price last year”. It would be practically impossible to change the wording for every single member.

Couple of points – Ole – I am not disputing that they saying that you “Pay the same as last year” – I am disputing that when I question this change, I was told “this is the same as it has always been “. Not true.

And as for Bogsides comment, perhaps that would be better for the manutd.com official website where you will find no derogatory remarks. (In fact, I’ve already pointed out the Hypocrisy. Shelly informed me of the hundreds of complaints they received regarding the tier-3 move,yet the website published that as a “Although it was supported by the fans, it is with regret……)

And by the way – as Ian points out – I am an “Ex” Season ticket holder, forced into a membership option by a club who feel its fair to charge fans for games they cannot attend.

What your email does – is confirms that I am now right to walk away. I will still support them, but I’d rather do it with my family, rather than sit in a stadium full of dickheads like you.

I don’t usually swear, but you are not on the same planet as me. Perhaps being a chartered accountant, your salary means you can afford every cup and european match. That’s not your fault, but it is shameful that someone going so long cannot see that dark times we are in…. and the darker times to come. What a pity